ISWTDB Ch2

Chapter 2: The Disfigured and Blind Sect Leader (2)

Following this, Wen Renming noticed that Ying Yunping did not pay attention to the fallen Xiao Lie, but instead walked straight toward his own room.

After two light knocks on the door, it was gently pushed open. Ying Zhao did not wait for the other party’s response, nor did he want to wait. He just wanted to see the person he had been longing for as soon as possible.

He knew he shouldn’t be so impatient, perhaps he should wait for a better scene and timing. But just the thought of that person tearing apart their soul to avoid hurting him made Ying Zhao’s heart unable to calm down.

He just wanted to see that person again, quickly!

But when he finally saw Wen Renming, Ying Zhao was completely stunned. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, and just felt his heart being tightly gripped.

Once, Zhu Que was high above, and admired by everyone. However, now, facing those lifeless eyes, even though half of his face was covered by a black leather mask, revealing burnt scars at the edges, Ying Zhao felt nothing but heartache.

Ying Zhao gazed foolishly at Wen Renming sitting on the couch, as if Zhu Que had stood countless times outside the boundary of the Heavenly Garden, looking at him.

Wen Renming’s uninjured half of the face bore a seventy percent resemblance to the original Zhu Que, naturally handsome, as if sculpted by a god. Only the lines were softer, not as sharp as Zhu Que’s. Yet it still made Ying Zhao feel familiar and nostalgic.

Holding back tears, Ying Zhao smiled at Wen Renming and quickly walked over to him. When he got closer, he stopped.

He reached out a trembling hand, tracing Wen Renming’s features in the air. Then, he lowered his head and placed a kiss on Wen Renming’s lips.

This kiss, though brief, left both Wen Renming and Ying Zhao stunned. Wen Renming had not expected the other person to enter his room and kiss him without saying a word.

Despite its brevity, the kiss felt so wonderful that Wen Renming’s heart trembled involuntarily. He wanted to prolong the kiss, even craving more.

Ying Zhao was also taken aback because this was his first kiss. Although he and Zhu Que had known each other for millennia, they had never been together. When Zhu Que confessed to him a thousand years ago, Ying Zhao began to avoid him.

Ying Zhao had never understood romantic love. He only knew that Zhu Que was his best friend and one of the esteemed Four Spirits of Heaven. As a mere minor deity guarding the Heavenly Emperor’s garden, how could he be worthy of Zhu Que?

He felt inferior and avoided Zhu Que, not wanting to change their relationship. He hid within the barrier of the Heavenly Emperor’s garden, unaware of Zhu Que’s condition.

It wasn’t until Ju Mang and Bai Rui found him that he learned Zhu Que had undergone the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.

The Five Declines of Heaven and Man is an unavoidable fate for gods, demons, and Buddhas alike. When experiencing it, one’s mind and foundation are shaken, amplifying all desires and cravings. Many gods and Buddhas fall into evil because of it.

However, there is hope for rebirth after the Five Declines, but Zhu Que’s obsession with Ying Zhao prevented him from overcoming the tribulation and being reborn.

Zhu Que sensed that his obsession was on the verge of turning into malice, fearing that he might harm Ying Zhao after losing his sanity, so he chose to tear his own soul apart with his own hands.

Thinking about this, Ying Zhao closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Compared to the suffering Zhu Que had endured, what little pain he went through by crossing over was nothing.

Fortunately, Ju Mang had once refined a spiritual weapon capable of nurturing the soul, which could temporarily preserve Zhu Que’s shattered soul.

However, Zhu Que had once sought death with all his heart, and the fragments could not be gathered. Even if they were kept in this spiritual weapon for thousands of years, he would still find it difficult to resurrect.

So, they found him. After all, to solve a problem, one must find the one who caused it. The only one who could ignite Zhu Que’s will to live now was Ying Zhao.

And Ying Zhao, how could he not be willing to go through fire and water for Zhu Que? But he worried, worried that his feelings for Zhu Que were not romantic love. He was worried that even if he saved Zhu Que, he would still end up hurting him again.

Until the moment of parting, Bai Rui looked at him with those eyes that seemed to see through the soul and said to him:

“Xiao Zhao, if you can’t be sure of your feelings, then go kiss him. If you feel excitement, satisfaction, and happiness, then you love him. I know you think you don’t understand, I once didn’t understand either. It wasn’t until I met Ju Mang that I knew what was irreplaceable, what was without hesitation. If you don’t love Zhu Que, come back, don’t save him out of guilt. He tore his soul for you, naturally unable to bear not having you. Instead of letting him suffer in this world, it’s better to leave him as he is now.”

Bai Rui’s words were resolute, but Ying Zhao understood the other’s good intentions. And he did as Bai Rui said. For the first time in his life, he kissed someone.

And with this kiss, he not only felt excitement, satisfaction, and happiness but also a kind of joy that seemed to be regained. So this is what a kiss is? A kiss is so soft, comfortable, and seemingly addictive.

Sure enough, he had already fallen in love with Zhu Que but foolishly resisted it. Luckily, it wasn’t too late for anything!

Ying Zhao unconsciously touched his lips, but when he regained consciousness, his face turned red to the neck in an instant as he looked at Wen Renming. Ying Zhao felt like his head was about to smoke.

‘We’ve known each other for over ten thousand years, why am I being so shy and awkward!’

Ying Zhao fanned his flushed cheeks with his hand while silently mocking himself.

Then he realized that even though in his heart he and the other had known each other for thousands of years, in the small world, soul fragments had no memory.

Wouldn’t that mean in Wen Renming’s eyes, he had become a guy who kissed someone forcibly on their first meeting?

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao’s face immediately turned pale for a moment. He turned to look at Wen Renming, seeing the other’s face facing towards him without any bad expression, which relieved him a little.

He immediately reached out his hand toward Wen Renming, grinned widely, and greeted him awkwardly:

“Hi!”

Immediately, Ying Zhao felt foolish. What “hi” was he saying?! He was even waving at a blind person!

He withdrew his hand halfway, and slapped his forehead hard. Ying Zhao felt that he had never been so embarrassed in all his years of living.

He cleared his throat lightly, and straightened his clothes. Even though the other couldn’t see, he still wanted to try to salvage his image.

Ying Zhao took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he faced Wen Renming, and said seriously:

“Lord Wenren, nice to meet you. I’m Ying Yunping, your future… wife!”

When he said the word “wife,” Ying Zhao almost bit his own tongue off, but according to the agreement between the Ying family and the Wenren family, Ying Yunping was indeed supposed to marry Wen Renming.

Wen Renming lowered his head, concealing a slightly cold smile at the corner of his mouth. When he lifted his head again, his face remained gentle. He nodded toward Ying Zhao and said:

“I know, Yunping. What brings you to see me?”

Upon hearing Wen Renming’s question, Ying Zhao was taken aback, shook his head, and then quickly remembered that the other couldn’t see. He hastily replied:

“Nothing, I just wanted to see you. Since I’ve seen you, I’ll leave now.”

With that, he hurriedly retreated to his room. Ying Zhao’s hasty departure naturally prevented him from seeing the big smile slowly forming at the corner of Wen Renming’s mouth as he watched Ying Zhao leave.

Facing the direction Ying Zhao had left, Wen Renming murmured softly to himself:

“My future ‘wife’? Well, that’s something to look forward to!”

Back in his room, Ying Zhao closed the door with a thud. He leaned against it, trying to calm his racing heart, a slight blush appearing on his face involuntarily.

Then he looked around the room and saw Xiao Lie still lying on the floor with a look of disdain. He immediately called the servants to carry Xiao Lie back to his own room.

When the room was finally empty, Ying Zhao sat down on the chair and took a deep breath, quickly adjusting to the body that had just been solidified with his soul in this world.

“Host, are you okay?”

Xiao Bai’s voice came from Ying Zhao’s mind, sounding a bit worried.

Ying Zhao shook his head and smiled at Xiao Bai. Although Xiao Bai was a system, it was specially condensed by Bai Rui using his divine power. Xiao Bai was a clean, white snake-shaped system with awakened intelligence, able to provide better assistance to Ying Zhao.

In order to help Ying Zhao adapt to the small world more quickly, Xiao Bai arranged for Ying Zhao’s first world to be a cultivation world that was closer to their current world. Only afterward would they adjust the difficulty level accordingly, which was quite considerate.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao felt even more grateful to Bai Rui and Ju Mang. He said to Xiao Bai:

“Don’t worry, I’ve completely adapted to this world’s body now. Xiao Bai, you can start transmitting the plot to me now.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, the white snake immediately straightened up, and its gray vertical pupils instantly turned red. Then, a large section of the plot was transmitted to Ying Zhao’s mind.